The group exhibition “kamim: Rising Up Together” was created in response to the urgent needs of the moment.
Israel’s leading artists have united to support the kamim Foundation, an organisation dedicated to aiding the families of the hostages.
The organisation was established in the wake of the events of October 7, 2023, and remains dedicated to promoting and implementing initiatives that provide financial aid, foster mental resilience, and ensure job security for hostages and their families. These efforts include gathering resources, supporting various projects, and collaborating with other non-profit organizations.
The name of the exhibition, “kamim”, is inspired by the foundation of the same name. In Hebrew, the word carries multiple meanings depending on its inflection, including "a nation," "an idea is born," and "occurs." Additionally, it functions as an auxiliary verb, signifying readiness and an invitation to action.
This diverse media exhibition, showcasing works of photography, sculpture, painting, and installation within a single space, seeks to provide viewers with an optimistic and alternative vision for the future. It embodies a message of hope for revival, envisioning the hostages' return to Israel. True to the exhibition's name, it aspires to inspire both individual and collective action toward these goals. From this emerges a timeless question: What is the power of art in the realms of both politics and therapeutic spheres?
Over a year has passed since the “Black Sabbath,” yet dozens of abductees remain held captive by Hamas. The Israeli artists featured in this exhibition, creating art in the midst of war both at home and abroad, have chosen to express their voices in unique and profound ways—to plant hope, provide comfort, and envision a future of goodness yet to come.
The launch of the kamim Foundation in Europe, in collaboration with the Israeli and local art communities, represents a moment of deep reflection on the efforts of the families of the hostages. It also serves as an opportunity to highlight the tireless work of family volunteers and the foundation’s dedicated employees on their behalf.
By showcasing the artworks alongside an exposition of the foundation’s activities, the exhibition creates a synergy that infuses both elements with deeper, more profound meanings that could not have been realised in any other context. The works in the exhibition suspend time, capturing moments that will become etched in the collective memory. Most of the pieces, created within the past year, explore themes of grief and hope, destruction and rebirth.
Participating artists: Amir Tomashov, Anna Fromchenko, Assaf Rahat, Boaz Noy, Eliahou Eric Bokobza, Esther Cohen, Gil Goren, Hadar Gad, Idit Ohel, Iris Cintra, Matan Ben Canaan, Michal Geva, Moran Kliger, Nogah Engler, Ofra Zimbalista, Ori Gersht, Orit Hofshi, Orit Ishay, Sharon Derhy, Shirely Wegner, Tama Goren, Udi Goren, Yuval Buchshtab, Zadok Ben-David
Nathalie Ben Ari
Curator
